After four years and no significant progress in airBaltic’s multi-million plea against Riga International airport in the so-called Ryanair discounts case, all documents related to this case were quietly handed over from Riga Regional Court to Latgale Regional Court in Rezekne, where it will be reviewed by a lesser-known judge Valentina Lokhova.

This is not the only oddity in this particular case.

According to information from Pietiek portal, Latgale Regional Court received the counter-claim of Riga International airport on Monday, April 7th. In this counter-plea, the airport wants to collects more than EUR 16 million of debt owed by the airline for the services provided by the airport. This decision by the airport contradicts Transport Ministry’s current political position – not to collect fees from the state owned airBaltic airline.

According to Pietiek’s sources, this kind of turn of events in the court process between the two state companies is linked to the expected peaceful resolution them. The court process that has unexpectedly caught second wind and the expected peaceful outcome may serve as legal justification for another several million euro to be pumped into airBaltic.

Even though there have been some speculations in the public about large amounts of money, according to the portal, airBaltic wants more than EUR 14 million as compensation for abuse of dominant position and setting discriminating and high prices for airBaltic in comparison with Ryanair. In reality, however, this amount may end up being even higher, because airBaltic’s lawyers had submitted a new redaction to their initial plea to Riga Regional Court last August. In it, they reserved the right to increase the requested compensation amount according to latest calculations of losses.

The financial state of Riga International airport is far from great as well. It is likely that in the event of a peaceful resolution of this case, Transport Ministry will have to search for money elsewhere – the government is one likely source of funding. Transport Minister Anrijs Matiss associate Olita Augustovska was recently appointed to the Board of Riga Airport. She is responsible for finances. It is publicly said that the Board of the airport is independent in its decisions. Political recommendations, on the other hand, are given to the Board verbally and in a general sense.

Sources in Transport Ministry point to one particular coincidence: prior to making this important decision, both Augustovska and Chairman of the airport Aldis Murnieks were seen attending a meeting with Matiss. Murnieks and Augustovska were seen in Transport Ministry last Friday, when the decision was made to transfer the court process between airBaltic and Riga airport to Latgale’s Regional Court.

The first suspicions about a possible scheme in play were raised by information about the transfer of this case to a court in Rezekne. This decision was made by the newly-appointed Chairwoman of Riga Regional Court – Daiga Vilsone.

Latgale Regional Court in Rezekne has received the counter-claim from Riga airport. However, the date of the court hearing on this case has yet to be set.

Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LEC) is worried about ongoing events and their negative effect on the stability and future development of the country’s economy. LEC believes that stabilization of the financial situation requires careful coordination of actions between institutions and the government.

Compared to December 2017, level of producer prices in Latvian industry rose by 0.9 % in January 2018. Prices of products sold on the domestic market went up by 1.2 % and prices of exported products by 0.6 %.

Russia is trying to use the established situation to create chaos in Latvia. Efforts, however, are fated to fail, says chairman of Saeima’s Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee Ainars Latkovskis.

Latvia’s Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola has failed to prevent the decision made by United States Department of the Treasury, which is ruinous for the country’s financial sector and humiliating for its reputation, says chairman of New Conservative Party Jānis Bordāns.

Considering events of the last several days in the country’s banking sector and the arrest of the governor of the Bank of Latvia – Ilmārs Rimšēvičs – it is entirely possible that someone is currently realizing a massive information operation. Its structure and execution is not unlike the one observed in USA, France and Germany during the pre-election period, BNN was told by Latvia’s Defence Ministry.

«This situation is incredibly complicated. This situation is quite possibly the most complicated one I have ever been in. I feel a great deal of support from people I don’t know, as well as my friends and family members. I have decided to not back down – I am innocent. The the people attacking my reputation have only one goal in mind – to have me step down,» said the governor of the Bank of Latvia Ilmārs Rimšēvičs during a press conference on Tuesday, 20 February.

The number of people working in Latvia’s culture sector is equal to 4.5% of the total number of employed people in the country. This proportion is also larger than the average one across the European Union, according to data published by Eurostat.

Considering that Latvia’s Education and Science Ministry has several ongoing industry reforms, it would be best to put the proposal for compulsory secondary education on hold, said Education and Science Minister Kārlis Šadurskis during a meeting of Saeima’s Education, Culture and Science Committee.

Association of Latvian Commercial Banks sees a need for the European Central Bank (ECB) to become more involved in the discussion and help resolve the situation, considering evaluation of ABLV Bank’s business model is in direct competence of ECB.

The largest fast food catering restaurant network in Finland and Baltic States – Hesburger – plans to invest approximately EUR 11.5 million in business development this year. EUR 5.5 million are planned to be invested in Latvia’s market, says Hesburger Development Director Ieva Salmela.

On Tuesday, 20 February, air temperature in central and northern parts of Finland dropped to -27° C… -31° C in morning hours. In Norway, close to the Finnish border, air temperature has dropped as far as -34° C, according to data from meteorological stations.

It is not impossible that someone may want to undermine Latvia’s financial sector, said chairman of Latvian Finance and Capital Market Commission Pēters Putniņš in an interview to Rīta Panorāma programme on Tuesday, 20 February.

There are serious risks associated with European Union’s co-financed project for the revitalization of Skanste neighbourhood, including construction of Skanste tramway line, says member of Riga City Council and For Latvia’s Development party Viesturs Zeps.

Latvia’s society believes the KGB documents should be made publicly accessible immediately. In addition, residents say they are confident in their ability to discuss those documents without the country’s supervision, which takes the form of expert opinions prevailing over society’s moral views, as stated by guest researcher of History Institute of the University of Latvia M. His. Marta Starostina.

«What we have observed in the past several days is that Latvia’s financial sector has received several heavy strikes as a result of the government’s uncoordinated and chaotic actions. Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis has evidently ‘disappeared’ and offers no clear plans to resolve the crisis, whereas Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola says different things in every interview. Such behaviour will not help resolve the crisis. It could instead pull the country’s financial sector in a much deeper crisis,» says chairman of For Latvia’s Development Juris Pūce.

As a security measure, the governor of the Bank of Latvia Ilmārs Rimšēvičs has been applied with a prohibition to take post, said Latvian Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis after a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.